Drama in education : deconstructing the role of movement in text

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative textual analysis on the role of
movement in 3 texts in Drama in Education in Canada. As the subject is holistic and
encourages creative, active participation, movement was expected to appear, even
inadvertently, in both theory and practice. It was hoped that guidelines for the use of
movement within Drama in Education would emerge from the texts and that these
guidelines would serve as models for others to use. A total of 26 Drama in Education
experts in Canada were each asked to list the 10 most important texts in the field. Those
who answered were assigned numbers and charted according to age, gender, and
geography. An objective colleague helped narrow the group to 16 participants. A
frequency count was used, assigning 10 points to the first text on each list, and
descending to 1 point for the tenth text listed. Based on the highest number of points
calculated, the 5 most frequently used texts were identified. These were compared to
ascertain the widest representation ofthe authors' geographic location and gender, as
well as differences in theory and practice. The final selection included 3 texts that
represented differing approaches in their presentation and discussion of Drama in
Education theories and practices. Analysis involved applying 5 levels of commitment to
determine if,how, why, when, and with what results movement was explicitly or
implicitly addressed in the 3 texts. Analysis resulted in several unexpected surprises
around each of the 3 texts. The study also provided suggestions for extending and
clarifying the role of movement in teaching and learning in general, as well as for Drama
in Education in particular.